bowdish



(No Modl.)

N. S. 8U E. R. BOWDISH.

OMPRESSED SRAM FOR' BOATS.

Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

j a E im? E mf @gf/5M also embodying a feature of our invention.v

Unirse STATES NELSON S. BOVDISH AND EDVARD BOVDISH, OF SKANEATELES, N. Y.

OOMPRESSED SEAM FOR BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 356,096, dated January 18, 1887.

Application filed August 21, 1886.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, NELSON S. BOWDISH and EDWARD R. BowDrsH, citizens of the United States, residing at Skaneateles, in the county of Onondaga,-State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compressed Scams for Boats, Src., of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to boats, and especially to the construction of the joints or seams forming the sides or shell thereof, the object ofthe invention being to produce a seam or joint which shall not require calking, -but which by the action of moisture will form a water-tight joint.

Other objects ofthe in-vention,to rether with certain advantages secured there y, will be hereinafter set forth, and the novel features `will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a cross section of a portion of a boat sufficient in extent to illustrate our invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section of a plank embodying one feature of our invention, Vertical sections on lines ap and y being shown at each end ofthe figure. Fig. 3 is a tllingstrip shown in side elevation and in cross sections on lines a b at each end of the ligure, saidstrip Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of two planks jointed in accordance with our invention. Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, are modified forms of joints, each embodying our invention.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

A represents a knee, B the keel, and C the gunwale, of a boat, all of which are of any de sired usual construction.

D represents the planking forming the sides of the boat. Each of the planks D is grooved at opposite edges, as shown at D', by any suitable tool, and the material at the bottom of the-groove is by any suitable tool or machinery compressed, as shown at D2,vso that in reality the groove D is deepened by the compression or condensation of the ber of the material.

E represents a filling-strip, which is first Serial No. 211,535. (No model.)

made wider than necessary to fill the compressed or deepened grooves of two adjacent planks. The wide filling-strip is then compressed at opposite edges, as shown at E', whereby it is made of a width substantially equal to the distance from the bottom of one compressed groove to that of another in two adjacent planks. j

Now, it will be seen that when two planks are placed edge to edge, with a iillingstrip arranged in the grooves thereof, any moisture which gains access to the grooves, to the fillingstrips therein, or to the compressed fibers of either, acts to expand the inateriabso as to cause the same to swell, and thus produce an absolutely watertight joint.

Various forms of j oints may be employed and still be within the scope of our invention. For example, taking the plainest form ofjoint, as illustrated in Fig. 9, in which the groove Dand the strip E are rectangular each-that is to say,

the groove .and the strip are compressed, the

former so as to deepen it, and the latter edgewise, so that the fiber is condensed, whereby the same operation takes place when the material .becomes wet or moistened, as hereinbefore described. Now, in depressing the groove its outline at the bottom may, as shown, be either rectangular, concave, convex, or beaded, and the strip may be at its opposite edges of similar form, as shown, and even other forms than those illustrated may be adopted, in accordance with the material employed or the judgment of the builder, the gist of our invention being in the compression of the material in the plank or strip, or both,

so that when moistened it shall expand to produce a watertight joint or seam. It is apparent that this form of joint may be applied to useful purposes in other vessels which are required to be'water-tight.

If preferred, a softer material may be used for the filling-strips than that of which the planking is made, whereby a quicker action or expansion of the strip will occur than of the planking itself, which, for the purpose of maintaining the symmetry of boats, renders the use of material not easily affected by water preferable.

Flanking having joints constructed in accordance with our invention may be secured IOO in position by any suitable means. In this instance we have illustrated nails F, one or two of which are passed through the planks and knee A and then clinched.

Planki-ng having a llingstrip of any material not affected by moisture can be compressed in such manner as to render the seam tight without the action of moisture, and instead of compressing the planking at the bottom of the groove it may be compressed along the top of the walls thereof, whereby the compressed ber will operate as hereinbefore described.

Having described our invention and its operation, what we claim isl. In a boat, planking having compressed grooves, in combination with a compressed filling-strip arranged therein, substantially as specied.

the concavity inthe bottom of the groove of 3o the planks, substantially as specified.

In. testimony whereof We afX our signatures in presence of two witnesses. A

NELSON S. BOVDISH.l EDWARD R. BOVDISH Vitnesses:

EDWARD DENT, EUGENE C. ALLEN. 

